Digital media presentations are composed of sequenced sets of media content such as video, audio, images, text, and/or graphics. When media content players render and/or present such sequenced sets of media content to users, they are referred to as streams of media content. Some media content players are configured to concurrently render and present more than one independently-controlled stream of media content (for example, a main movie along with features such as a director's commentary, actor biographies, or advertising). Such media content players may also be capable of rendering and presenting user-selectable visible or audible objects (for example, various menus, games, special effects, or other options) concurrently with one or more streams of media content.
Any type of device in the form of software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof may be a media content player. Devices such as optical media players (for example, DVD players), computers, and other electronic devices that provide access to large amounts of relatively inexpensive, portable or otherwise accessible data storage are particularly well positioned to meet consumer demand for digital media presentations having significant play durations.
It is common for various entities to supply different software and hardware components of media content players, and such components are expected to successfully interoperate in environments having limited processing and memory resources. It is therefore desirable to provide techniques for ensuring resource-efficient, relatively glitch-free play of digital media presentations, including the accurate synchronization of concurrently presentable streams of media content, on all types of media content players and architectures thereof.